Underwent Ear Surgery to Avoid Missing Brazil's Final Games of 2026

Barcelona forward Raphinha had a cyst removed from his left ear on October 26, bringing the operation forward because he did not want to miss Brazil’s last games of 2026.

Brazilian outlet ge.globo reports that Barcelona had wanted him to have the procedure during the November international break. That would have ruled him out of the national team’s matches, so the 29-year-old chose to go under the knife sooner.

The problem began in early October, when Raphinha took a blow to the head that hurt his left ear. The area became inflamed and caused him a lot of discomfort. The options were to keep draining the fluid that built up or to have surgery, and the club preferred to wait for the break. Raphinha went ahead the day after El Clasico instead.

He missed a few training sessions but was back quickly. He returned for the game against Alaves on October 31, wearing a protective headband to avoid more irritation, and scored twice in a 6-1 win. He did the same against Aston Villa on November 3, hitting two more in a 3-0 Champions League victory. That is four goals in two games with the headband on.

His decision has caught plenty of attention at Barcelona, especially since Carlo Ancelotti has included him in the Brazil squad for friendlies against Japan and Singapore. Brazil play Japan on November 14 and Singapore on November 17, with both games at the National Stadium in Singapore.

That means a round trip of about 22,000 kilometres, and the worry is not just the physical toll of the journey. Barcelona have been stung before by losing Raphinha to injuries picked up on international duty, so his fitness matters a lot as the season goes on.

His choice shows how much the national team means to him, but Barcelona have good reason to be nervous.